Explanation: You don't have to be on Reunion Island to see this week's planetary conjunction. Only if you want to see this picturesque seascape as well. To see the conjunction from just about anywhere in the world, look to the west after sunset. The first planet you may notice is Venus, the brightest object in the western sky. Above Venus, the second brightest object is Jupiter. The hardest planet to spot is Mercury, which is visible only briefly after sunset as a faint dot just above the horizon. Picturesque rocks leading out from Reunion Island to the Indian Ocean populate the foreground of the above picture. Taken last week, the distant planets Venus and Jupiter were joined by a bright crescent Moon, which has now moved away.

This picture seemed reversed...until I realized that it was the southern hemisphere! ooops. I think that it would take me some getting used to the sky if I ever travel south of the equator. Here's to dreaming!

revloren wrote:This picture seemed reversed...until I realized that it was the southern hemisphere! ooops. I think that it would take me some getting used to the sky if I ever travel south of the equator. Here's to dreaming!

What I loved the most of my trip to Argentina last summer was to see the southern sky! I was expecting to see the Southern Cross and different constelations, but I was not prepared to see a reversed moon And also the climate! Its difficult to get used to the fact that the cold winds come from the south and the hot winds come from the north, and that the proper way to build a house if you want to get the most sun is orienting it to the north!

I don't think so; not visible, but the position of Mercury is afaik inside the photo frame. If my calculations are correct, then Mercury’s position should be in the bright patch on the left, just above the horizon (circled in the image below).

I don't think so; not visible, but the position of Mercury is afaik inside the photo frame. If my calculations are correct, then Mercury’s position should be in the bright patch on the left, just above the horizon (circled in the image below).

this picture is strange. where i live, in southeastern quebec, venus is on the right and jupiter is above and left to venus. is this because this picture is from the idian ocean? please explain anyone.

yellowbag wrote:this picture is strange. where i live, in southeastern quebec, venus is on the right and jupiter is above and left to venus. is this because this picture is from the idian ocean? please explain anyone.

Currently, Venus is just slightly north of the ecliptic (right of it when you're facing west), and Jupiter is just slightly south of it (left when you're facing west). If you were in southern Florida, you'd see the ecliptic going straight up from the western horizon, overhead, and down to the eastern horizon, so you'd see Venus just to the right of Jupiter. Heading north, the ecliptic would tilt increasingly towards the south (up and left when facing west), so Venus would seem farther to the right of Jupiter. But if you traveled south, the ecliptic would tilt the other way- to the north, or up and right. So you'd start seeing Jupiter to the right of Venus. Of course, no matter where you were, Jupiter would remain east (above) Venus.